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Monday, February 15, 2010

The After the Last Day

She awoke to bright lights and intense pain. She knew that she was still in her human body and not in Heaven. God promised no more pain or tears in Heaven. Since she could cry if not for the dehydration, she knew that earth was still her home for a time. Her nurse anesthetist came over and asked how she was feeling. She couldn't answer due to the fact that she was parched and her throat was incapable of making much audible sound. She made some signs using a crude form of sign language asking about the baby and her husband. After being reassured that everyone was well, she was given some ice chips and some more pain killers and she went back into that blissful pain free world inside her brain. She awoke again on the way to ICU with so many people surrounding her. Nurses, doctors, orderlies all pushing and pulling her bed onto the 7th floor. After being rehooked up to the wall for oxygen and given a bag of fluids and more morphine, the nurse asked if she would like some company. Seeing the questioning look in her patient's eyes, she explained that her husband and parents were here. She nodded and in walked her precious husband. The tears flowed this time without any problem. He stood over her and kissed her forehead and hugged her as best as he could with all the tubes and IVs and such. The shock that flashed across his face was clearly in reaction to how bad she looked. Her skin was gray with very little color in her irises. Every freckle and mole stood out like a mini neon sign on her pale skin. She could not smile nor could she hardly speak. He told her all about their sweet little baby and how good he was doing. He even brought pictures that the NICU nurses had made along with his foot prints and a card with a sweet note. She clutched it to her chest and wept with relief. Her husband then asked if she felt up to seeing her parents and his. She nodded. Her mom came in and despite trying to remain positive, she cried anyway. Her dad came in a gave her a kiss and then walked out again, crying. Her mother-in-law came in with tears welled up in her eyes and told her what a great job she had done. This was all too much for her and the nurses quickly shooed everyone away and said she needed to rest. As she lay her head back on the pillow, she was so thankful for all that she had been through and how God had really brought her so far. After being released from ICU, she was allowed to see her baby for 5 minutes before being taken to her room. At that time, she learned just what her body endured. After going to sleep in the OR, much scraping of her bladder and abdomen wall occurred. The birth of her son was miraculous. They had to take the baby in utero out flip the uterus upside down and deliver him from the backside. The doctor had never heard of this being done but said it just felt "right" to him. He saved her life in that one movement because on the other side was a huge blood vessel that would've caused her to bleed out if it had been cut. As it was, she lost all her blood and had to have 7 units replaced. The baby never needed breathing tubes and breathed on his own from the start. He was eating and quickly grew and with in 13 days from his birth, the 34 week old baby went home with his family. Lessons learned, God is in control. God loves us more than we could ever possibly imagine. God is there even in the pain. God is protective over His own. Every person in every situation has the choice to remain positive or negative. So many people care about us and we often think that no one does. God's plan doesn't often follow our carefully laid out ones but His are always the right way to go!